The present invention relates to a product sales data processing system using a plurality of credit authorization terminals.
A product sales data processing system provided with a plurality of credit authorization terminals (CATs) connected to a host computer is generally known. In the known product sales data processing system, however, even when a plurality of credit authorization terminals are provided, these credit authorization terminals are merely coupled, individually, to a host computer through telephone lines so a to exchange information with the host computer; information cannot be directly exchanged among these credit authorization terminals. In addition, none of the credit authorization terminals has the function whereby it can exchange information with a point of sales (POS) terminal to register and process product sales data.
Consequently, in such a conventional product sales data processing system, it is necessary to install the same number of telephone lines as credit authorization terminals, resulting in expensive and troublesome drawbacks caused by construction expenses, telephone circuit rental fees and the like, making this system very uneconomical. Moreover, in the case where the price of the product, registered in the POS terminal, is paid by credit, the drawback arises wherein it is necessary to key-input the registered amount of money in the credit authorization terminal, thereby creating the potential for making a mistake in the key-input process.